The Dreaded Kootenay Pass

The next morning looked clear, which was good because we were about to climb Kootenay Pass. It was close to 6000 ft in elevation, with a 4500 ft climb. We've climbed similar and higher passes, but everyone we told about this was dumbfounded that we'd be taking it. Like the Mountaineering Club dudes made a face when we said we were heading that way. Like we found only one bike tour blog that had taken that route, and the dude said he had to stop every half mile to catch his breath. Wellllllllll, time to get started!

Of course it started drizzling immediately, but it went away soon and the beginning of the climb wasn't anything special. Just a slow grind. I kept looking around the bend wondering when we'd reach the top of the climb, where the road gets really steep for five miles, at an 8% grade. Then, all the cars came to a stop, and we reached a flag guy. There was construction at the top of the pass, and they were leading one lane of traffic through at a time with a pilot car, and it was too dangerous for us to ride. We'd have to put our stuff in the back of the pilot truck and they'd drive us to the top. Well this climb wasn't bad at all!

When they let us out the temperature had dropped at least 20 degrees, and by the time we were done with lunch it had started sprinkling again. Then raining. Then really raining. We were just speeding down this gravelly mountain road with the rain whipping into our faces, my shoes were getting soaked and it definitely wasn't getting warmer. We stopped for a break and Travis found the remnants of a hailstorm we fortunately missed. 

Here's the thing though. If you ever hang out with me, you will find that I have certain propensity to find rain. Especially when I really need it too be sunny, like when I drive out of my way to go swimming or need to race down a mountain in a construction zone. I get very anxious about the weather because it seems like it is out to ruin my life. Purposefully. I recently went to a kind of spiritual talk where the guru was talking about not stressing about things you can't control. Like the weather, he said. The weather is it's own thing. It's made up of wind, pressure systems, and rising and falling temperatures. It's science. It has nothing to do with you. You want to never be upset about the weather every again? This is how you do it, he said. Whatever the weather is outside, say to yourself, "I love it!" Then you'll never be disappointed in the weather again. 

I agree with this intellectually and even spiritually, but I will tell you that this mountain thunderstorm followed our asses down the highway ALL AFTERNOON. As soon as we were completely soaked, the rain stopped, and behind us there was blue sunny sky. Ahead of us was more rainstorm. We got drizzled on consistently on the way back in to Creston, where we again made camp in Jan and Zach's backyard and hung our wet clothes out to dry. 

"Resting" and Hospitality in Nelson

Sometimes rest days are restful, but sometimes they are just a frantic scramble to finish chores on an ever-growing list. Nelson was a cute little city, but we only had one day to resupply AND try and enjoy city life. Luckily we managed pretty well, and found more fuel, groceries, a wall plug, a new book AND drank coffee, skyped, and brunched. In Canada they call Bloody Marys "Caesars", and replace the V8 with Clamato. WOW! Clamato is my new jam. Tomato and clam juice, who knew? Thanks, Canada. We continued our tour tradition and saw Inside Out in the theatre, and I only really cried once. I was teary-eyed through the whole thing though, and I could probably cry right now just thinking about it. You should probably see it. 

Maybe one of the best things about rest days is walking around civilization with Travis and the outfits he's managed to cobble together. For some reason he decided to only bring a collared shirt, jeans and a bathing suit, which make appearances together with his white crocs.​

We had arrived in Nelson on a Saturday night, and the only spot left in the campground was in overflow, which meant we spent the night on a 45 degree slope (note: when sleeping on slopes, put your head toward the top). So for our second night in Nelson, we decided to give Katie a call. We met Katie with Roger on the rail trail into town. I was about to remove my clothes to go swimming in the river when we heard, "Hey, Florida people!" It was the guy we had met at the dock a few towns back who gave us advice on where to camp!! Small world. Within minutes of meeting us, Roger's friend Katie invited us to stay with her in Nelson, and to look her up in the phone book when we got there. That was a great decision. Not only did we get to sleep in a real bed, but we got to hang out with Katie and Roger all night talking bikes, history, the environment, and travel.

The next day I caught up on some blogs, which takes FOREVER, by the way. Like hours. By the time I was done, it had started to rain, and Katie had put on the kettle and her apron and made tea and baked cookies. What treatment! 

Travis' weather optimism was obviously on turbo mode, and he assured me that the rain had definitely cleared up for the day, so we thanked Katie for her generous hospitality, invited her to Florida, and started on the wet ride to Salmo, a mere 20 something miles away. 

You Should Really Think About Visiting The West Kootenay

From Kokanee Creek we continued on the Koot Route, stopping in adorable towns along the way. Kaslo, New Denver, and Silverton were my favorites, all cute lakeside mining-turned-tourist towns. I'm going to go ahead and plug this area as a vacation spot: it has everything!! You like beaches? How about mountains? Rivers? Got 'em.

We've seen people kayaking, paddleboarding, cycling, fishing, hiking, mountaineering, and backpacking. Maybe you like sweet little towns with old houses, history, B&Bs, and strollable downtowns with cute shops. Maybe you like to get ice cream. Got that too! It's really easy to get into Canada from the U.S., you just need a passport. This would be a great place to spend two weeks on vacay.

I've spent a lot of time on this trip being inspired by the folks we've met so far. I just turned 31 this summer, and this is the third year Travis and I have been taking these trips together. It's easy to think that adult responsibilities and health issues will eventually prevent us from embarking on these adventures. BUT, we've met s many positive adult role models doing their thing. There was the family on bike tour with their 8 and 9 year old kids on the back of Mom and Dad's tandem bikes clocking 60 miles a day. The four moms and their dozen kids backpacking 10 miles out to an alpine cabin. Rad dad with his son and their vintage camper paddleboarding, swimming and visiting ghost towns on a weekend trip. The Kootenay Mountaineering Club with retirees summiting two mountain peaks a week. It reminds me that these adventures don't necessarily have to run their course, and that I can be active my whole life if I want to. 

We continued along the West Koot Route toward Nelson, following a rail trail along Slocan Lake. Travis takes every opportunity to travel off pavement, which means no cars but much slower going. The going was made even slower due to the giant thimbleberry patches we had to stop for, as well as lunchtime swim breaks, and the feral plum tree that dropped little yellow plums when the wind blew. Seven hours of pedaling later, we finally made it to Nelson. 

Kokanee Lake

I'm starting to realize that people in this part of Canada are not reliable sources for gathering information about the strenuousness of outdoor activities. We really should have listened to the man at the dock who suggested we hitchhike the 10 miles up the gravel road to Kokanee Lake, but when Travis spoke with some other people about biking to the park, they said that it was "a grind". Travis took this to mean that it was totally doable without gear, and I FOOLISHLY went along with him. 

We lasted a grand total of 1.5 miles before our speed dipped below 3mph and my lack of momentum caused me to lose balance and topple over. So we ditched the bikes in the woods, started walking, and stuck our thumbs. A nice boy named Braden and his mom Kathryn picked us up and drove us to the top parking lot, and we started our hike to the to Kokanee Glacier.

Now, the lady at the provincial park promised us that the hike up to Kokanee Lake wasn't so bad, and even though the guide book said it was strenuous, she said she did it when she was 5 months pregnant. Okay, this is good news. We started walking up the mountain, and soon heard someone gaining on us. It was a young couple carrying a toddler in a backpack, and they smoked us. Then, a 60 year old couple passed, and 70 year old man with a walking stick. We huffed and puffed. We have sea-level lungs, OKAY?? 

Fortunately our hiking shame was dwarfed by the beauty of the hike itself. As we climbed higher into the mountains we recognized some of the same wildflowers we saw in Colorado dotting the mountainsides. 

Streams formed by the melting Kokanee Glacier tumbled down around us, and we stopped filtering our drinking water. 

We finally reached the lake, and I'lll tell you what, alpine lakes are in a category of their own. 

We continued on the rocky path beyond the lake, meeting marmots hiding in the boulders.

We reached a beautiful meadow crisscrossed with gently flowing streams fed by cliff waterfalls, and there was still some snow on the ground from the winter. 

It was hard to turn around, but we didn't want to be the last ones in the park and be stuck without a ride back to our bikes. Luckily the members of Kokanee Mountaineering Club was coming back from their hike and were happy to give us a ride. We once again experienced hiking humiliation, because this over 60 group had not only completed the hike we did, but also bushwhacked to the peak of a mountain all in one day. Their calves were MASSIVE. They were such a friendly group, and we were almost sad to get dropped off to bike back to camp.